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Consider that word； 〃picturesque。〃 It； and the notion of art which it
expresses； are the children of the Ancien Regimeof the era of decay。
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THE ANCIEN REGIME
The healthy； vigorous； earnest； progressive Middle Age never dreamed of
admiring； much less of painting； for their own sake； rags and ruins； the
fashion sprang up at the end of the seventeenth century； it lingered on
during the first quarter of our century； kept alive by the reaction from
1815…25。 It is all but dead now； before the return of vigorous and
progressive thought。 An admirer of the Middle Ages now does not build
a sham ruin in his grounds； he restores a church； blazing with colour； like
a medieval illumination。 He has learnt to look on that which went by the
name of picturesque in his great…grandfather's time； as an old Greek or a
Middle Age monk would have doneas something squalid； ugly； a sign of
neglect； disease； death； and therefore to be hated and abolished； if it
cannot be restored。 At Carcassone； now； M。 Viollet…le…Duc； under the
auspices of the Emperor of the French； is spending his vast learning； and
much money； simply in abolishing the picturesque； in restoring stone for
stone； each member of that wonderful museum of Middle Age architecture：
Roman； Visigothic； Moslem； Romaine； Early English； later French； all is
being reproduced exactly as it must have existed centuries since。 No
doubt that is not the highest function of art： but it is a preparation for the
highest； a step toward some future creative school。 As the early Italian
artists； by careful imitation； absorbed into their minds the beauty and
meaning of old Greek and Roman art； so must the artists of our days by
the art of the Middle Age and the Renaissance。 They must learn to copy；
before they can learn to surpass； and； meanwhile； they must learnindeed
they have learntthat decay is ugliness； and the imitation of decay； a
making money out of the public shame。
The picturesque sprang up； as far as I can discover； suddenly； during
the time of exhaustion and recklessness which followed the great struggles
of the sixteenth century。 Salvator Rosa and Callot； two of the earliest
professors of picturesque art； have never been since surpassed。 For
indeed； they drew from life。 The rags and the ruins； material； and alas！
spiritual； were all around them； the lands and the creeds alike lay waste。
There was ruffianism and misery among the masses of Europe； unbelief
and artificiality among the upper classes； churches and monasteries defiled；
cities sacked； farmsteads plundered and ruinate； and all the wretchedness
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THE ANCIEN REGIME
which Callot has immortalisedfor a warning to evil rulersin his Miseres
de la Guerre。 The world was all gone wrong： but as for setting it right
againwho could do that？ And so men fell into a sentimental regret for
the past； and its beauties； all exaggerated by the foreshortening of time；
while they wanted strength or faith to reproduce it。 At last they became
so accustomed to the rags and ruins； that they looked on them as the
normal condition of humanity； as the normal field for painters。
Only now and then； and especially toward the latter half of the
eighteenth century； when thought began to revive； and men dreamed of
putting the world to rights once more； there rose before them glimpses of
an Arcadian ideal。 Country lifethe primaeval calling of menhow
graceful and pure it might be！ How gracefulif not pureit once had
been！ The boors of Teniers and the beggars of Murillo might be true to
present fact； but there was a fairer ideal； which once had been fact； in the
Eclogues of Theocritus； and the Loves of Daphnis and Chloe。 And so
men took to dreaming of shepherds and shepherdesses； and painting them
on canvas； and modelling them in china； according to their cockney
notions of what they had been once； and always ought to be。 We smile
now at Sevres and Dresden shepherdesses； but the wise man will surely
see in them a certain pathos。 They indicated a craving after something
better than boorishness； and the many men and women may have become
the gentler and purer by looking even at them； and have said sadly to
themselves： 〃Such might have been the peasantry of half Europe； had it
not been for devastations of the Palatinate； wars of succession； and the
wicked wills of emperors and kings。〃
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THE ANCIEN REGIME
LECTURE IIITHE EXPLOSIVE
FORCES
In a former lecture in this Institution； I said that the human race owed
more to the eighteenth century than to any century since the Christian era。
It may seem a bold assertion to those who value duly the century which
followed the revival of Greek literature； and consider that the eighteenth
century was but the child； or rather grandchild； thereof。 But I must
persist in my opinion； even though it seem to be inconsistent with my
description of the very same era as one of decay and death。 For side by
side with the death； there was manifold fresh birth； side by side with the
decay there was active growth；side by side with them； fostered by them；
though generally in strong opposition to them； whether conscious or
unconscious。 We must beware； however； of trying to find between that
decay and that growth a bond of cause and effect where there is really
none。 The general decay may have determined the course of many men's
thoughts； but it no more set them thinking than （as I have heard said） the
decay of the Ancien Regime produced the new Regimea loose metaphor；
which； like all metaphors； will not hold water； and must not be taken for a
philosophic truth。 That would be to confess manwhat I shall never
confess him to bethe creature of circumstances； it would be to fall into
the same fallacy of spontaneous generation as did the ancients； when they
believed that bees were bred from the carcass of a dead ox。 In the first
place； the bees were no bees； but fliesunless when some true swarm of
honey bees may have taken up their abode within the empty ribs； as
Samson's bees did in that of the lion。 But bees or flies； each sprang from
an egg； independent of the carcass； having a vitality of its own： it was
fostered by the carcass it fed on during development； but bred from it it
was not； any more than Marat was bred from the decay of the Ancien
Regime。 There are flies which； by feeding on putridity； become
poisonous themselves； as did Marat： but even they owe their vitality and
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organisation to something higher than that on which they feed； and each of
them； however； defaced and debased； was at first a 〃thought of God。〃 All
true manhood consists in the defiance of circumstances； and if any man be
the creature of circumstances； it is because he has become so； like the
drunkard； because he has ceased to be a man； and sunk downward toward
the brute。
Accordingly we shall find； throughout the 18th century； a stirring of
thought； an originality； a resistance to circumstances； an indignant
defiance of circumstances； which would have been impossible； had
circumstances been the true lords and shapers of mankind。 Had that
latter been the case； the downward progress of the Ancien Regime would
have been irremediable。 Each generation； conformed more and more to
the element in which it lived； would have sunk deeper in dull acquiescence
to evil； in ignorance of all cravings